Display rack for carpets

ABSTRACT

A display rack for hanging and displaying items such as carpets. An elongated U-shaped holder is attached to the edge of the display item by means of needles inserted through aligned holes in the sides of the holder. The end of one side of the holder is turned inside the U so that the point of the needle protruding through the hole in that side remains within the holder. Two hangers are spaced apart from each other along the length of the holder and are attached to the holder. The upper end of each hanger has a roller that is positionable on an overhead support rail for movement of the holder along the overhead support rail from a storage position to a display position. The holder can be installed on, or removed from, the rail by separately removing each hanger from the rail.

United States Patent [191 Rottermann et al.

[54] DISPLAY RACK FOR CARPETS [75] Inventors: Robert Rottermann,

Oberengstringen; Fritz Fuchser, Neuheim, both of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Robert Rotterman,

Oberengstringen, Switzerland [22] Filed: June 24, 1974 [21] Appl. No.1 482,410

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 26, 1973 Switzerland 9310/73 [52] US. Cl. 211/46; 211/94; 211/162 [51] Int. Cl? A47F 7/16 [58] Field of Search 211/28, 45, 46, 47, 48, 211/57, 59, 94, 945, 162; 24/156 R, 162;

[ 51 Aug. 19, 1975 Primary ExaminerRoy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Thomas J. Holko 5 7 ABSTRACT A display rack for hanging and displaying items such as carpets. An elongated U-shaped holder is attached to the edge of the display item by means of needles inserted through aligned holes in the sides of the holder. The end of one side of the holder is turned inside the U so that the point of the needle protruding through the hole in that side remains within the holder. Two hangers are spaced apart from each other along the length of the holder and are attached to the holder. The upper end of each hanger has a roller that is positionable on an overhead support rail for movement of the holder along the overhead support rail from a storage position to a display position. The holder can be installed on, or removed from, the rail by separately removing each hanger from the rail.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 4 6 7 5 6 4 l6 L/// /////////z/// PATfiNTEnAuclsms 3.900108 4 6 7 5 F2 6 I) 4 I6 10/ /////////Z/ DISPLAY RACK FOR CARPETS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a display rack for displaying carpets suspended from an overhead support rail. The carpets are hung from the rail by rollers which move along the rail so that a carpet can be drawn completely forward from a rear storage position into a display position.

Suspended display racks of this kind are known. They form the element of carpet display racks in which a plurality of such individual racks are arranged side-byside. with runway rails in parallel to one another.

There are known carpet display racks in which the suspension devices are lowerable on a certain station in order to unfold the suspended carpet for demonstration purposes on the ground and, if necessary, to easily exchange it. Such racks are, however, very expensive.

Simpler suspension devices which are not lowerable, have the disadvantage that the carpets have to be lifted up in order to be attached to their support rail. In case of heavy carpets. at least two men are needed to attach the carpet to the support rail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an economical suspended display rack which enables one man to load heavy carpets from the ground without great effort. and to unload heavy carpets from the suspended position to the ground.

The suspension rig according to the invention is characterized by a carpet holder that can be completely drawn out past the display position with a loose rod attached to it by removing the front rollers from the support rail. The holder is then tiltable downward around the rear rollers and can then be completely removed from the support rail by removing the rear rollers from the support rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An example of an embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing as follows:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the display rack with a carpet suspended on it; and

FIG. 2 a cross-section through the suspension rig at a larger scale.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The illustrated suspension rig has an elongated holder 1 to which a carpet 2 is attached by attachment needles 3 in a known manner. The holder 1 is suspended by hangers having rollers 4, 5 so as to be longitudinally movable along a stationary overhead support rail 8 attached by struts 6 to the ceiling 7. The carpet 2, suspended on the holder 1, can be completely drawn out from the rear storage position, represented in FIG. I, to the display position, so that it can be inspected in its entirety. The movement of the holder 1 is limited in the storage position and in the display position by abutments 9, 10, respectively, for the corresponding rollers 4, 5, respectively.

The overhead support rail 8 is an inverted channel whose side ends are turned horizontally inward to provide tracks for the rollers 4, 5 and to confine the rollers 4, 5 within the rail 8. At the display end of the rail 8, adjacent stop 10, an opening I6 is provided in the channels top side for insertion and removal of rollers 4, 5, as shown in FIG. 1.

In order to have the holder I automatically returned with the carpet 2 suspended thereon after the release of the latter from the display position to the storage position, the support rail 8 has an inclination. It lies higher at its display end than at its storage end. Contrary to the known embodiments, the holder 1, is not parallel with the rail 8, but horizontally, so that the carpet hangs straight and forms no folds.

The holder I has a U-shaped profile and the sides of the U are provided with holes for the passage of attachment needles 3. These holes, however, are not arranged as in the known manner to pass through the entire profile of the bearing rail and have their points dangerously protruding. Rather the holes receiving the points of the needles are in a bent-over end 11 of side 12 which covers outwardly the point of the needle. The other side 13 is flanged on its end 14 and is provided with passage holes for the attachment needles 3.

The attachment needles 3 are produced simply of a single piece of steel wire and have a loop 15 on the end bent away from the point of the needle 3. When the needle is introduced into the holes of the holder 1 the loop 15 engages the end 14 of the side 13.

For removing the carpet 2 from the display rack, the holder is drawn out with the help of a rod set up on the front end of the same (not illustrated) past the display position, while the front rollers 5 roll over the stop 10 and off the support rail 8 through opening 16. The holder 1 then tilts downward around the rear rollers 4 which still remain in the support rail 4, and the carpet 2 comes partly to lie on the ground 16, as shown by dashed lines in FIG. I. The holder 1, which is now loaded with only the weight of the hanging part of the carpet, can be completely removed from the runway rail 8 without great effort by driving the rear rollers 4 off the support rail 8.

To suspend the carpet, it is first attached to the holder 1 on the ground. Hanging the carpet is then carried out in the inverse sequence and again in two steps Thus, only a part of the carpet is lifted by the operator when mounting or dismounting the carpet.

Instead of the loop 15, the attachment needle 3 can also have a round knob which has a detent groove fitting into the passage hole in the side 13 of the holder 1.

From the foregoing, it can be readily realized that this invention can assume various embodiments. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but is to be limited only be the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A display rack for hanging a display item, comprisan elongated holder having means for coupling to a display item an overhead support rail; at least two hangers spaced apart from each other along the length of said holder and attached to said holder, said hangers each comprising a rod suspended from a roller, said rollers being separately removable from said rail only at the end of said rail adjacent display position; and

said overhead support rail comprising an inverted channel whose ends are turned horizontally inward to provide tracks for said rollers and to confine said rollers within said channel, an opening being pro- 3,900,108 3 4 vided in the top side of said inverted channel adjasaid storage position. cent the display end for insertion and removal of 5. A display rack for hanging a display item, comprissaid rollers into said channel, said channel further ing:

including stops at each end to prevent said rollers a i n d channel-shaped holder having aligned running Off of Said Channel, whereby 5 holes in the sides of the channel, the end of at least 531d h3T 1gerS are Posmonable on Said Overhead P- one side of the channel being turned upwardly and port rail for movement of said .holder along said inwardly; oyerhead fP tall P a storage posmon to needles for coupling a display item to said holder, (splay P and Sam can be removed said needle being insertable into said aligned holes m Sam Overhead Support by Separately so that the points of said needles project through mswmg each hanger from Send Overhead Support the hole in said upturned side while remaining 2 {if l I k d l h within said channel;

6 ay me as c c w erem' at least two hangers, each hanger comprising a rod sald elongated comprises lnvert.ed U suspended from a roller, said hangers being atshaped channel having aligned holes in the sides of tached to Said holder and being spaced apart along said channel, the end of at least one side of said the 18 h of Said holder and channel being turned upward into the channel; and ngt an overhead support rail comprising an Inverted said couplmg means compnses needles needles channel whose ends are turned horizontall inward being insertable into said aligned holes, whereby k f u I d f' i ,d the display item is held within said channel and the 20 i Fla d h points of said needles project through the hole in il s? m c kj f g i said upturned side while remaining within said e m f top o mvfine channel cent the display end for insertion and removal of The display rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said rollers, into said channel, said channel further end portion of said needle opposite said point is bent mcludmg Stops at each end Prevent 531d rollers into a general U-shape to form a snap-spring engagefrcfm running off finds Ofsald Channel, whereby, able with a side of said channel when said needle is in- 531d rollers are PosmomlbIe Said Overhead P- serted into aid aligned hol port rail for movement of said holder along said 4. The display ra k as l i d i l i 1, h i overhead support rail from a storage position to a said overhead support rail is inclined downwardly todisplay position and said holder can be removed ward said storage position, and said elongated holder is from said overhead support rail by removing each hung from said overhead support rail in a horizontal roller individually from said overhead support rail. position, whereby said elongated holder tends to be in 

1. A display rack for hanging a display item, comprising: an elongated holder having means for coupling to a display item an overhead support rail; at least two hangers spaced apart from each other along the length of said holder and attached to said holder, said hangers each comprising a rod suspended from a roller, said rollers being separately removable from said rail only at the end of said rail adjacent display position; and said overhead support rail comprising an inverteD channel whose ends are turned horizontally inward to provide tracks for said rollers and to confine said rollers within said channel, an opening being provided in the top side of said inverted channel adjacent the display end for insertion and removal of said rollers into said channel, said channel further including stops at each end to prevent said rollers from running off the ends of said channel, whereby said hangers are positionable on said overhead support rail for movement of said holder along said overhead support rail from a storage position to a display position, and said holder can be removed from said overhead support rail by separately removing each hanger from said overhead support rail.
 2. The display rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said elongated holder comprises an inverted U-shaped channel having aligned holes in the sides of said channel, the end of at least one side of said channel being turned upward into the channel; and said coupling means comprises needles, said needles being insertable into said aligned holes, whereby the display item is held within said channel and the points of said needles project through the hole in said upturned side while remaining within said channel.
 3. The display rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the end portion of said needle opposite said point is bent into a general U-shape to form a snap-spring engageable with a side of said channel when said needle is inserted into said aligned holes.
 4. The display rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein said overhead support rail is inclined downwardly toward said storage position, and said elongated holder is hung from said overhead support rail in a horizontal position, whereby said elongated holder tends to be in said storage position.
 5. A display rack for hanging a display item, comprising: an inverted channel-shaped holder having aligned holes in the sides of the channel, the end of at least one side of the channel being turned upwardly and inwardly; needles for coupling a display item to said holder, said needle being insertable into said aligned holes so that the points of said needles project through the hole in said upturned side while remaining within said channel; at least two hangers, each hanger comprising a rod suspended from a roller, said hangers being attached to said holder and being spaced apart along the length of said holder; and an overhead support rail comprising an inverted channel whose ends are turned horizontally inward to provide tracks for said rollers and to confine said rollers within said channel, an opening being provided in the top side of said inverted channel adjacent the display end for insertion and removal of said rollers, into said channel, said channel further including stops at each end to prevent said rollers from running off the ends of said channel, whereby, said rollers are positionable on said overhead support rail for movement of said holder along said overhead support rail from a storage position to a display position and said holder can be removed from said overhead support rail by removing each roller individually from said overhead support rail. 